Shadows of Rebellion

by L. M. French

The Wildings started it all. Halflings of the subspecies tired of watching their kind eradicated made war with the Timorii. It would have ended quickly but for the Daenali.

  They were the first of the wolves to ally with the wildings but their presence swayed the witches and then the fey. The vampires, the opportunists that they were, worked both sides from the start. Just another reason they were not endeared to many.

  The Bloody Days raged until one day the Order went too far, committed one act so egregious Sailas struck down his own people.

  The Red Raven, a rebel commander, had been captured by the Order. They sealed her in a wooden box like I was sealed in this cage and poured hundreds of reaping beetles inside.

  The territories had been besieged by the beetles across battle lines and each faction feared the swarms. The capture and death of the Red Raven was the first time the beetles had been weaponized.

  And it was the last.

  Sailas saved us all from her fate. Or so he thought.

  Pain cut through my stomach and I gritted my teeth against it. “I don’t suppose you can dial up the guys from here?”

  “Too far.” Phin grunted as he tested the limits of his chains. “They’ll be looking for us by now but we can’t afford to wait.”

  My insides screamed as reaping beetles continued to consume me. I was reduced to the weird Lamaze breathing to speak. “I’m- I’m game. Can you break them?” I nodded towards his cuffs.

  He lifted his hands and the light glinted off the shiny metal. Silver.

  “So, the hard way then?” I met his eyes and watched my wolf’s eyes harden.

  He grinned darkly as he watched me. “We’re gonna get bloody.”

  I choked a bit on the copper taste in my mouth. “I’m kinda already there.”

  Footsteps scuffed the ground and my muscles tensed in preparation for more family drama. Phin eyes stayed on mine but like me he’d heard them coming. Unlike me his body remained loose were he sat on his knees in front of me.

  I focused on the pale skin of his scar and the rich green eyes that framed it. His customary man-bun was missing leaving his long dark hair around his shoulders. I’d never seen it like this and I wanted to run it through my fingers.

  “Focus, dhara.” His voice was gruff and my eyes jerked back to his.

  The tent flap whipped back and Ivory stalked across the packed dirt. “Sister-mine, I thank you for your resilience. I didn’t think I would get so much suffering out of you.”

  He passed Phin to brace both hands on the side of my cage and lean over me. “You’re really the gift that keeps on giving.”

  While the beetles did their job cutting my insides into confetti, Phin aimed a bloody grin at my foster brother.

  “Bay is going to gut you slow and I’m going to shit on your corpse.”

  Irritation flashed in Ivory’s eyes and his teeth gnashed. He kicked my cage before facing Phin. “You think I’m scared of your commander?” he scoffed “Look around, not even the Timorii could stop me.”

  Phin straightened his spine looking every inch the warrior he was as he regarded Ivory.

  “You’re a power-hungry parasite forged on the lies of his own entitlement.” His voiced dropped to a heavy timber as he switched his gaze to where Senevia hovered by the door. “He’s too young to remember the war and the culling it took to stop it but you do. You sentence your own son to death. Are you that arrogant? Or that careless?”

  Her face suffused red at his insult. “Arrogance was destroying his own race for those half breed animals. Thousands of warriors died that day, pure Timorii and then he thought he could saddle me with one of his pets! Feed her, clothe her, let her sleep under my roof with my own child? And to hand the power of the territory to wolves. Filthy treasonous wolves. It’s time for a cleansing.”

  She was ranting her words positively reeked of fanaticism.

  I cleared my throat, we needed to get one thing straight.

  “He may be a filthy treasonous wolf but he-“ I glanced at Ivory “is a filthy undead Reaver. Fairly sure that’s a double standard in the purity games.”

  “Do not speak to me you worthless half breed.” She spat in my face through the grated lid. “ You are nothing.”

  “She is everything.” Phin’s green eyes glowed. “I do not know what she is or why she was hidden but I know it was worth it.”

  Ivory sneered at him, “We’ll see how you feel after I’ve let my men bleed you dry. That’s one way to kill a Daenali, right? Bleed them?”

  Senevia stroked her hands across the top of one of the barrels. “But first we’re going to destroy her and everything she stands for.” She mocked him with her words but he paid her no mind.

  I couldn’t look away from his eyes. The connection between us smoldered to life in my painfully overcrowded belly. It was like he’d thrown the doors wide open on his soul pushing all he had towards me as I’d done for him to combat the nekroite. Emerald flames danced in his eyes and I felt the echo in mine. He was feeding the fire inside me and I opened myself up swallowing it down greedily.

  My eyes moved towards the cuffs that held me and I saw they were iron; in fact, I saw every molecule that made them and somehow knew that I could unmake them with the right thoughts.

  Agony stole through me and it felt as if all the reaping beetles had concentrated their efforts just under my heart.

  Dhara. Somehow, I felt Phin’s voice touch my mind and lifted my head from where it had fallen to my chest.

  It hurts, I told him.

  Change usually does, he replied.

  Ugh, I hated existential wisdom.

  I felt rather than heard his chuckle.

  Ivory kicked Phin in the chest knocking him off balance but our connection never wavered.

  I felt the dirt under his shoulder and his hair as it brushed his cheek.

  Ivory wrestled over one the barrels practically throwing it in front of my cage. Senevia backed towards the edge of the tent, hungry for my end but unwilling to risk her own.

  I had enough time to feel Phin’s determination before Ivory lifted the barrel and poured it’s crawling spindly legged contents over my head.

  Oh, gods.

  They swarmed over me as they landed and I couldn’t help but thrash and buck as they searched for a way inside me.

  They coated my body like a living blanket suffocating and dark.

  The sound of another lid hitting the ground rung out and my hysteria magnified. Like a spark to a stick of dynamite, power erupted from my core. I screamed as the beetles tore down my throat and fire tore up it.

  A roar ripped through the air and I struggled to see through the writhing masses that covered me when Phin tore through his cuffs and lunged for Ivory. The same fire that boiled inside me danced along his skin and I prayed it would protect him as he collided with Ivory and the barrel.

  They crashed to the floor amid a fury of claws and fists as the brightly covered bodies of beetles scattered everywhere.

  Phin

  MY KNEES DUG INTO THE packed dirt and I used it to ground me and drew on the well of power I'd long left behind. I hadn't considered myself a druid in hundreds of years but for her I'd be whatever she needed me to be.

  She didn't seem to know blood poured from her fucking mouth, but I did. Rage lengthened my teeth and the chains bit into my wrists as my hands shifted to claws. I pushed as much of my energy as I could into the bond she'd unknowingly forged between us. It pulsed weakly at first before it throbbed with our combined energy.

  I knew the minute the Reaver felt our power rising. His boot connected with my chest knocking me down. I grunted roughly but kept my eyes on hers. Stay with me dhara.

  The mass writhed over her swelling and rolling and I tore at my chains as they tore at her skin. I could feel the terror eclipsed her, triggering her magic.

  It exploded out of her traveling back down our connection and I felt my skin dance with it and my chains gave way. They were silver and it should’ve been impo
ssible but I didn't stop to question it.

  Reaping beetles swallowed her form and I roared losing control. I felt my muscles shift as my beast took over. Chain links flew when I wrenched my wrists apart. I let my jaw shift and my teeth sank into his shoulder as I crashed into him. We rolled across the floor as the barrel rolled next to us on its side.

  "Fucking mutt! You'll kill us both!"

  For damn sure, if I could take him with me, I would. His blade pierced my ribs and I shoved my claws into his stomach. A dark shape smashed into my side throwing me off Ivory’s body and I smelled wolf.

  Fucking traitors.

  Rolling I kicked my feet into their stomach and sent them flying into the side of the cage. Quickly, I stood facing the wolf when Ivory appeared stabbing his blade into my side.

  Howling, I locked up his right arm with my left and ignored the searing pain when he clenched his fist around the knife still stuck under my ribs.

  I threw a quick punch at his face before rotating out and breaking the elbow. The knife moved deeper and I bellowed as Ivory’s grip slipped off and I could finally yank it out.

  Painful but satisfying, I wanted to break his other arm.

  The wolf growled, sinking back on its haunches to attack. I quickly swiped blood from my side and flung it in their eyes with a quick incantation.

  Yelping the wolf scraped the sides of its paws across its face as it stumbled away. Try being a traitorous cunt when you’re blind, motherfucker.

  I faced Ivory to find him circling behind me towards the ring door.

  “Looks like mommy didn't love you after all.” I gestured with the knife. “Bitch ran as soon as I got loose.”

  Ivory grinned his fangs cutting thin slices in his bottom lip. “You can try and use that to kill me or save yourself.” His eyes dropped to my side where he’d stabbed me and I felt it- the scrape as something dug into the wound. Ice froze my veins as I tore at my shirt to see my skin shift and move as the reaping beetle dug deeper. Fuck.

  Ivory cackled and bolted for the door and I let him go. Turning back to the cage I wrenched the grated top off and threw it aside. I flinched as her skin rippled with the wretched creatures and tore her chains free of the cage. “Come on, dhara, come on baby.”

  Her body burned as I dragged her free, ignoring the pinch and bite of the beetles invading my skin. This time when I put my mouth to hers it wasn’t to tame a fire but to feed one.

  To the gods that still loved us, help me succeed.

  “WHAT’S HAPPENING?” Her voice whispered in the sudden silence.

  Face to face with Veda I looked around at the vast expanse of- nothing. There was nothing and no one- just us on our knees gripping each other tightly.

  I cupped her cheek gently. “This is an in-between place. The reaping beetles are loose. You need to destroy them.”

  “Crap, really wanted that to be a bad dream.”

  The feel of them forcing their way through my body literally made my skin crawl. “Wish I could give you that, dhara.”

  “So, you want me to do what exactly? It’s not like I have this whole spontaneous combustions thing nailed. Sometimes it’s not even me who combusts- I might combust you!” She gestured between us frantically. “This is a terrible plan that relies heavily on my very unreliable pyro skills.”

  I slid both hands into her hair to cradle her skull and it felt decadent. I wish we weren't in the middle of life and death traumas. “I’m gonna help you, this time instead of trying to level out your power I’m going to help you burn brighter.”

  Her eyes swallowed her face. “The last time I burned brighter I DIY-cremated a person.”

  “You need to do better than one person, Veda. You need to scorch the damn ground this tent is on.”

  “But yo-” I stopped her with a thumb across her lips.

  “You can’t let anything survive- nothing Veda. You have to destroy everything and everyone.” I watched realization cross her face.

  “Everyone?”. Her eyes dropped to my chest and the phantom pain felt through our bond was devastating. I’m sorry, baby.

  I smiled sadly. “Everything, dhara.”

  “No. No, you have to be wrong there has to be another way.” She struggled against me, shaking her head vehemently when I tried to reassure her.

  “If they get beyond this tent it isn’t just us that will suffer. They’ll ravage the territories and everyone in it. You can’t save me, baby, you have to save us all.”

  I dropped my forehead to hers and her eyes swam with tears. “I can’t. I can’t, Phineas.”

  Shushing her, I bussed my mouth across hers gently. “You can, just let go.”

  I sealed my lips over hers and she gripped me tightly as she let go and the power consumed us.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  Bay

  Sweat dripped in my eyes and I let them close, my vision a luxury when I could hear the swaying of chains and leather. My shoulders burned as I sidestepped the heavy bag I was striking.

  Knuckles bare, I shot strike after strike while my mind scoured the territories. We’d kicked in doors, razed businesses, and generally made our presence known in every establishment and hole-in-the-wall operating on or off grid.

  And had nothing to fucking show for it.

  They were gone.

  Six hours since they'd been dragged through a portal and we were no closer to finding them.

  Soft steps from my right had me dropping my hands and opening my eyes. “What is it, Kova?”

  Timid and voted most likely to blend into the wallpaper, Kova was slight for a wolf. Her long dark hair hid most of her face and probably outweighed the rest of her.

  Peeking through the curtain her brown eye glowed like warm amber. “Ozias is waking, Commander.”

  I sighed internally. If I did it out loud she’d likely spook and we wouldn't find her for days. Our Kova was a coward.

  I grabbed a towel to dry off with and crooked my finger to bring her closer. I waited while she shuffled towards me until her toes were a few inches from mine.

  Improvement. Last time she’d stopped three feet away.

  “Kova, I am your commander but I am also your friend. Are you my friend?”

  What I could see of her face was pink as she nodded. “Y-yes, sir.”

  “Do friends use titles or names, Kova?”

  She swallowed audibly but I held myself loose and waited for her eye to come back up.

  “Names, sir?”

  “That's right. So, when it's not pack business you call me Bay.”

  “Yes, sir.” Her eyes snapped up, the motion swinging her hair back and- boom- blue and brown. Kova had one of each. “Bay.” she corrected.

  “That's right sweetheart.” Any other wolf and Kova’s behavior would not only annoy me but the sheer cowardice would have disgusted my wolf.

  Being alpha meant my job was to protect her regardless but surprisingly neither my wolf nor I needed convincing. We were protective of our little mouse, patient where others were not. My beast thought of her as a cub we needed to keep safe.

  “Kova,” the voice that interrupted was sharp and impatient, “for the love of all things, tell me you told him?”

  Kova shrank at Jet’s voice, aggravating me and my wolf, “She did. Has there been further development?”

  Jet halted mid-stomp across the gym as she sensed my aggression. “No, alpha. Kojak says it's close though.”

  I dropped my towel on the bench and grabbed my water. “Then you should be with your team helping with the search.”

  Glancing between me and her sister, Jet nodded. “Of course, alpha. Kova-”

  “Will be along when Kojak no longer needs her.”

  Jet nodded sharply, turned on her booted heel and strutted back out again. The female didn't know any other way to walk.

  Shaking away my irritation at the golden-haired wolf, I turned back to Kova only to find she’d made a full retreat behind her mane. I sighed, this time out loud. “Let's go se
e to my wolf, pup.”

  Kova did an about face, without falling smack on hers and how she could see where she was going was a mystery for another day. We’d just reached the door when she spoke.

  “She means well, B-Bay. Mother placed me with her team to train.”

  Her mother placed her with Jet to scare her out of being scared. If it worked great, I just wasn't sure it would or how much damage it might do the little mouse trying.

  “Good intentions are crappy excuses for poor choices. It's why they’re used to cobble hell's driveway.”

  Kova murmured to herself but I wasn’t listening. We made it to the treatment rooms in silence to find Jericho and Emerick pacing the hallway. Jericho spotted me first and snapped to attention. “Kojak is in with him now.”

  I nodded and pushed into the room. The Daenali healer was large even for a wolf. His salt and pepper hair was combed back out of his face, the tips reaching his nape. The sides were buzzed down to the skin and inked with the runes of our packs ancestors and he carried a circular brand under his ear.

  The brands were some of the last remnants of the war. Healers on all sides had been scarce and securing their survival-even in enemy hands had been paramount. The brands marked them for what they were- valuable- no matter the species.

  Kojak leaned over the large form on the bed. I could hear the gruff whisper as he talked to Oz. Hearing me enter the room, Kojak lifted his head before murmuring something to Oz and patting his leg. He turned to me and gestured towards the corner of the room.

  I crossed my arms. “How is he?”

  “Almost good as new. That shard severed everything in his throat but it’s just about re-knit. His necks already healed.” Kojak rolled his eyes at Oz. “Hard ass already tried to take off. I had to threaten to tranq him.”

  We were Daenali. We didn’t lay down in a fight and Oz had almost been down permanently when the Din had attacked and taken Veda and Phin. He was going to take it personally. They all would.

  “Can he talk?”

  “It’s scratchy from the healing but yeah he’s all yours.” He clapped me on the shoulder and slid out the door.